A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 44 - Nick

Anyone protesting finds themselves injured or worse. Healer Ronald couldn't do anything for me. It's thanks to Healer Mark that I am alive and can watch my daughter grow up.

A steady rain was pounding on the roof of the tent when Nick woke up for the umptieth time with a dripping nose. He reached under his improvised pillow—a jumper filled with mostly clean socks—and grabbed his handkerchief. The piece of cloth was already soaking wet, but since he had packed no other, he wiped his nose clean and stuffed it back. Drifting back to sleep, he cleared his throat to get rid of the dry, annoying tickle. It turned into a cough instead.

Gods, he was getting sick. Again.

"Ugh, now I'm really awake. And I have to piss." Vic got up from his spot and stepped over him. "Thanks, Nicky."

"I can't help it." His voice sounded rough, and his throat ached when he talked. As he felt another cough coming, he pulled his fur over his head. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

A clattering sound came from outside, followed by Vic cursing him, "Son of Sloth, Nicky, you didn't do the dishes!"

Nick groaned as he got out of his coughing fit. He had been too tired after dinner, and Jasper hadn't complained. With a bit of luck, the rain would soak away most of the soot and dark crown crusts on the edges. He had calculated it: little effort, maximum hours of sleep.

Nothing to go wrong...

The next time he opened his eyes was when a crouching silhouette was shaking him away. "Nicky, Vic's gone! I think they took him."

That was impossible. The Lieutenants always took the youngest of the patrol for their game, and that would be him. Not Vic. He yawned in Dan's face, already dozing off again. "Vic went out to pee. He'll be back soon."

"No, Nicky, that was like an eternity ago. I've been awake for a while cause you snore, man. And I've heard other patrols running too. I think they're doing the first batch tonight."

"Don't bother me. Wake up Jas."

Nick's eyes were falling shut again. He was walking through Sunstone Castle, wearing the warmest of jumpers and carrying the thickest book he had found in the library. Just as he descended to the stables to visit Billy, his jumper turned sticky wet and his book morphed into a training sword.

A bright light blinded him. It was Sam waving a lantern in his face. "Vic's still gone. Emergency meeting. Now."

Nick rose up, his head aching in protest. Jasper, Dan, and Eric were huddled together in a circle in the middle of the tent, all geared up in chainmail and their sword in their hand. He moaned. Slumping back into his fur seemed like a much better option than whatever his comrades had in store for him. "Do I really? I'm not well."

"Get your lazy butt over here, overdramatic little Princess," Jasper grumbled. "I wanted to sleep too, but you don't hear me nagging about it."

As he crawled closer, a tickle formed in his nose. He didn't have time to grab his handkerchief, so he aimed the powerful sneeze into his hands, spraying snot all over.

Fantastic. When were the Gods ever on his side?

"Seven Hells, Nicky, I wished they had taken you." Jasper flinched a little as Nick wiped his hands clean, using a clean handkerchief that Sam had pulled out of his backpack. "Do you know any of the high officers—an uncle or cousin that arranged this for you?"

"No." He blew his nose. It was only half a lie. "Maybe they didn't take me cause I'm sick."

"I doubt that."